On 25 August, protesters stormed the Tariq 16 power substation in Souq al-Jumaa, forcing technicians to leave and leading to a transformer fire. Residents demanded ‘fairer load-shedding and greater transparency’, while state power firm GECOL warned that unauthorised reconnections could further destabilise the national grid, already facing an estimated 1,000 MW deficit.
The Sons of Souq al-Jumaa Movement subsequently issued a final warning to the Dabaiba government to resolve the electricity, water and wider living crisis, threatening more decisive protests. On 26 August, young people in Tripoli’s al-Hani district similarly threatened to shut down vital facilities, including the al-Hani gas depot.
On 27 August, Central Tripoli Municipality ordered government bodies, businesses, schools and banks to switch off non-essential lighting, air conditioning and equipment after working hours in an effort to reduce pressure on the grid.
GECOL has sought to offer some prospect of relief, announcing that the first unit of the new South Tripoli power station has begun operating ahead of connection to the national grid. The plant has a planned capacity of approximately 1,300 MW, although no firm timetable has been given for electricity from the facility to reach consumers.
Fuel supplies have also shown signs of improvement. Tripoli’s Security Directorates Support Unit reported that nearly 7,000 trucks received diesel between 21 and 24 August, while Brega Petroleum Marketing Company established additional mobile filling points. The measures appear to have reduced queues after black-market diesel prices reached as high as LYD 8.00 per litre during the shortages—that is to say more than fifty times the subsidized rate of .15 LYD per litre.
Nevertheless, at 01:28 on 31 August, another electrical disturbance caused a partial blackout across Tripoli and several western cities after the Misrata–Khoms and Bir al-Ghanam–al-Ruwais circuits shut down. GECOL has launched an investigation into whether the incident resulted from technical failure, external interference or deliberate sabotage.